I find it fascinating that nobody has yet considered the thought that Hermione may actually be guilty. Neither Harry nor anybody here seems to have noticed that confession(under truth serum!) is generally considered very strong evidence of guilt, certainly much more so than an appeal to demographics is evidence of innocence.
We know that she is innocent because we saw her being effected by a mind effecting attack. It’s like watching an episode of Supernatural, seeing a ghost kill somebody on screen, then saying “well maybe it was a regular homicide!”
We as readers are privy to knowledge that people in universe are not. This is why they entertain the notion that she’s guilty and we don’t. Harry doesn’t entertain the notion because she’s his best friends and twelve year old girls do not attempt cold blooded murder of their own volition.
I’m aware that it’s a very unlikely case from the reader’s perspective—it’s possible that they just warped her mind until she did it of her own accord, but that’s about it. However, we’re openly considering even more ridiculous possibilities(confess to the Azkaban breakout? Wut?), so the fact that it hasn’t come up is odd.
My point is as much about the in-universe response as the reader’s, though. Harry is acting in blatantly irrational fashion, and everybody else seems to be humouring him much more than usual as well. I find that strange.
However, we’re openly considering even more ridiculous possibilities(confess to the Azkaban breakout? Wut?), so the fact that it hasn’t come up is odd.
To be honest, I still think this is a better solution than most of the stuff that’s been suggested on this thread so far.
I got the impression that they weren’t humoring him so much as even Snape thought that the very idea of Hermione deliberately trying to murder someone was preposterous.
I find it fascinating that nobody has yet considered the thought that Hermione may actually be guilty. Neither Harry nor anybody here seems to have noticed that confession(under truth serum!) is generally considered very strong evidence of guilt, certainly much more so than an appeal to demographics is evidence of innocence.
We know that she is innocent because we saw her being effected by a mind effecting attack. It’s like watching an episode of Supernatural, seeing a ghost kill somebody on screen, then saying “well maybe it was a regular homicide!”
We as readers are privy to knowledge that people in universe are not. This is why they entertain the notion that she’s guilty and we don’t. Harry doesn’t entertain the notion because she’s his best friends and twelve year old girls do not attempt cold blooded murder of their own volition.
I’m aware that it’s a very unlikely case from the reader’s perspective—it’s possible that they just warped her mind until she did it of her own accord, but that’s about it. However, we’re openly considering even more ridiculous possibilities(confess to the Azkaban breakout? Wut?), so the fact that it hasn’t come up is odd.
My point is as much about the in-universe response as the reader’s, though. Harry is acting in blatantly irrational fashion, and everybody else seems to be humouring him much more than usual as well. I find that strange.
To be honest, I still think this is a better solution than most of the stuff that’s been suggested on this thread so far.
I got the impression that they weren’t humoring him so much as even Snape thought that the very idea of Hermione deliberately trying to murder someone was preposterous.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one bothered by this.